Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answers. Our That's Fit fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hi Fitz. My office has a really nice fitness facility, but I feel a bit awkward using it. It's free and very convenient, I'm just a bit nervous about getting in there. I'm not very fit and it embarrasses me. Donna

A. I feel for you Donna. Office dynamics can be kind of weird, but your lack of gym savvy should not prevent you from enjoying what we both agree is one awesome benefit of your job. You said it yourself: You have full access to a nice gym that's both free and convenient. Who could ask for more? I'm confident my suggestions will put you at ease and get you moving quickly.

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Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answers. Our That's Fit fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hi Fitz, I'm a 42-year-old mother of three and am completely out of shape. My life had become so hectic several years ago that I totally gave up on fitness. I'm now 60 pounds overweight, have zero endurance and have horrible eating habits. I don't even know where to start. Help! Leann

A. Hi, Leann. I'm sorry you're feeling so badly about yourself. It sounds like you're a wonderful mother who mistakenly thought your job was to give 100 percent to your family and zero percent to yourself. Although that sounds like the perfect equation for perfect parenting, you found out the hard way that it's not. Having said that, three years is a short period of time in the scheme of your life. There's no reason you can't undo what you've done and get your life and body back on track. Let's get started!

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Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answers. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hi Fitz! You always say that drinking calories causes weight gain, so I'm willing to try kicking my habit. I'm completely addicted to Coke. There are all sorts of programs to help people stop smoking, but none for cutting back on soda. Help! Brian

A. Thanks for the terrific question, Brian. I'm so glad you've been paying attention! Yes ... caloric beverages such as soda, juice, milk and alcohol are definitely responsible for much of the extra fat folks are carrying around. As an example of this, I once did a series of lectures for a large fire department in my area. I referenced the huge fountain drinks I always saw the firefighters driving around with and showed them how much sugar was in each cup. As their jaws dropped, I challenged each of them to, at minimum, switch to diet soda and, at best, switch to water.

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Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answers. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hey Fitz, Long time reader here. We've got a problem in our family, and it's that my dad is incredibly obese. He has a fairly athletic build, but in recent years became "potbellied." He's the only obese person in his family, and his health is REALLY starting to suffer.

He's having problems with his knees, joints, back, and worst of all -- his attitude. He cannot exercise because he's already so inactive, and every diet he's been on (reluctantly) he's just put the weight back on afterward. Sometimes he does it intentionally, for fun (a la Dunkin Donuts trips ... how awful!)

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Imagine being the only guy in a weight loss group filled with dozens of women. I'm no guy, but I imagine it would be pretty daunting ... and a bit humiliating. Weight Watchers wants to change the women-only stigma surrounding the industry of weight loss -- in the new year, they're launching men-only slimming classes.

According to Mads Ryder, Vice President of Weight Watchers UK, "Worrying about your weight is still largely seen as a female issue and it can be very difficult for a man to admit he has a problem and seek help. Our research shows that many men feel intimidated by the traditional female-dominated meeting room environment which is why we are trialling our Men Only meetings in venues men are familiar with, such as gyms and sports clubs."

It's so true, huh? Weight loss is seen primarily as a female issue, but we all know it's not. All the same, I have trouble picturing a room full of men discussing their cellulite, love of ice cream, emotional eating and so on. Will men-only groups help? Or is a man's reluctance to seek help with weight loss a different issue?

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Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answers. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hi Fitz, We're half way through December and I've already gained four pounds. How do I stop this? Colin

A. Happy Holidays, Colin! Thanks for writing. I've got some pretty clear advice for you, which is the same advice I'd give if you showed up for a personal training session with me. Get a grip! Put a moratorium on the indulgences and focus on fighting that new fat.

Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answers. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hi Fitz, I just bought a fairly fitted dress for a party this weekend and am desperate to avoid a poochy tummy. I'm in pretty good shape but often get bloated. I can not wear this dress if I'm bloated. Help! Andrea

A. Hi Andrea, Bloating is a bummer, but I can definitely help you avoid it. You're just going to have to be smart about what you eat and drink for the few days prior to your event.

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Hopefully, most of you made great choices for your health yesterday, on Thanksgiving Day. You exercised in the morning, avoided too many appetizers and stuck to only one piece of pie. If you did that, congratulations -- I'm proud of you!

If you went a little nut-so on the nuts and gobbled up several different desserts, though ... it's time to get to work. Weight gain comes as a direct result of consuming more calories than you burn. It's quite possible that you actually gained anywhere from a half a pound to three in just one day. Yeesh!

Your second priority is to force vigorous exercise into each day during the next week as well. Vigorous exercise leaves you huffing, puffing and sweating profusely. Do lots of it.

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Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answers. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Fitz. I'm dying to get in shape, but I'm just too tired to do anything about it. I work a ton, sleep a little, and can't even find time to make a salad. What do I do? Erica

A. Hi Erica. Your question is kinda like the "chicken and the egg" dilemma. I know you think you're too tired to be fit, but this problem is probably in reverse. You are simply unable to keep up with your busy life because you are unfit. Time to make some changes.

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Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answers. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hi Fitz, I'm a woman in my early 40s and have really let myself go over the past decade. I used to have a nice figure, but now I'm stuck with a 'lumpy bumpy butt' that is far too big. The rest of my body needs work too. I joined Weight Watchers two weeks ago, cause I saw that you wrote it was a great program. I'm down three pounds already. So, what do you advise I do to improve my backside. It's awful! Marlene

A. Hello Miss Marlene. I'm glad you sent me your question, and I'm confident I can help. There are a lot of things you can do to tighten up that tush. You've already taken the first step with Weight Watchers -- losing weight will be most important for getting rid of bulging pockets of fat.

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Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hello Fitzy. I need your help! I'm six feet tall and last year I was close to 300 pounds. I am now down to 250. I'm still in the process of losing weight but am stressed because I cannot get rid of my "man boobs."They're devastatingly embarrassing. I wouldn't take my shirt off at the beach if you paid me. What can I do to make them go away? Liam

A. Hi Liam. Isn't it funny how big boobs are super cool on a chic but not so much on a guy? Interesting. Listen, I feel for you. Man boobs are not the status symbol of the day, and it's hard for most people to deal with any unusual bulging pockets of fat. Man boobs, love handles, and saddles bags; nobody wants 'em!

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You exercise, you eat right, you get a good night's sleep, and you try to stay organized; you're doing everything you can to manage your own stress. But what if you work with someone who isn't managing stress well?

Regardless of where you might work, there are a lot of reasons for stress in today's workplace -- threats of layoff, increased workload due to reduced staffing, and so on. When you add in all the non-work-related causes of stress, it's no wonder some people aren't managing the pressure well. And, no matter how well you handle stress, when a co-worker is stressing you'll be affected by it.

So what can you do to help a stressed out co-worker? As long as you don't take on the reasons for their stress (e.g. taking their workload), it's a good thing to help out. And, if you happen to be the boss, it's imperative that you do so in order to maintain a positive workplace and to prevent productivity from slipping. Some ideas:

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OK, readers, I need some help. Here's my dilemma: At my kids' elementary school, parents are expected to bring one bulk snack once each month, something that will serve about 20 kids. If every mom or dad complies with this expectation, teachers end up outfitted for mid-day snacks all year round. Simple enough. But I'm concerned with what I should donate each month. Last year, I tried to offer something not so terribly unhealthy -- mini bags of pretzels, for example -- but this coming Fall, I want to do better.

Here's my ideal: Fruit, maybe grapes divvied up into baggies, sliced apples, something whole and fresh and well, healthy. I guess I could plan with my kids' two teachers to pick a day each month where I show up and pass out my wholesome snack -- no way of refrigerating these snacks for later -- but I'm wondering if you have any kid-friendly suggestions I might use for this homework assignment, something I can deliver and leave with the teacher to use when appropriate. Most parents donate bags of chips, crackers, and cookies, but I don't want to succumb to these easy treats. I hate nothing more than seeing my kids walk out of school with Oreo mustaches. Not exactly fuel for the brain, you know. So help me, won't you? Leave a comment below and tell me what to do.

Here's to the good health of kids -- yours and mine.

When it comes to feeling barely blue or downright depressed, women tend to ask for help more than men ask for help, say the experts at Ladies Home Journal. With WebMD reporting that nearly six million men will have at least one major episode with depression each year, it's clear a good bunch of men -- while they might not ask for it -- need a good dose of help. In order to draw these guys out and get them the assistance they need, let's be on the lookout for these eight signs of trouble.

• Withdrawing from others and spending more time alone, watching TV, playing video games, or pursuing other solo activities.

• Increased drinking or use of mood-altering drugs.

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Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hey Fitz. Yesterday I did two classes in a row - Cardio sculpt and Extreme training, which are both really tough. Two days before that I ran three miles to the gym, did a class and ran three miles home. For the first time in a long time I did not enjoy the exercise one bit. I have been exercising regularly for a long time now - usually I love it. I have been practicing good nutrition habits with the occasional sweet tooth fix, drinking lots of water and STILL the number on the scale is staying the same. I feel like I am on the verge of burning out. I can't seem to lose the flab around my tummy - particularly under my belly button and backs of my thighs, no matter what I do. Plus, short of starving myself and getting very cranky, I don't know how to actually lose the weight. Funny how a number on a machine, the scale, can be so vital to my state of mind. It's ridiculous, really. PLEASE - do you have any advice? Cindy

A. Whoa there Cindy! You need a break! Sounds odd for me to say this, but put your sneakers away and sit the heck down! Fitness is not supposed to make us insane, fitness is supposed to help us maintain our sanity. You are burnt out to the max, and need to just let it go for a while. I'm not suggesting forever, but take at least a week off. I know what you're going through. You already have an elite fitness level, but particular parts of your body are just not responding the way you want them to. You have incredibly high standards for your body. That often leads to frustration. Especially when you're 'starving' and running a million miles a week!

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